NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday presented her eighth consecutive budget, emphasising the middle class, national growth, and infrastructure. During her speech, Sitharaman said that the government reaffirmed its commitment to achieving ‘Viksit Bharat‘ by eliminating poverty, ensuring quality education, and providing affordable and comprehensive healthcare.
While addressing the Parliament, Sitharaman quoted renowned Telugu poet and playwright Gurajada Appa Rao, “Desamante Matti Kaadoi, Desamante Manushuloi“, which translates to “A country is not just its soil, a country is its people.”
Key Announcements in the education sector
Atal Tinkering labs to foster innovation
The finance minister announced fifty thousand Atal Tinkering Labs in Government schools in the next 5 years to cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation, and foster a scientific temper among young minds.
Broadband connectivity in government secondary schools and PHCs
Recognizing the importance of digital infrastructure, the government will extend broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools under the BharatNet project.
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Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak scheme
To support multilingual education, Nirmala Sitharama announced Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme, providing digital-format books in Indian languages for school and higher education. “This aims to help students understand their subjects better,” she said.
National centres of excellence for skilling
“Building on the initiative announced in the July 2024 Budget, five National centres of excellence for skilling will be set up with global expertise and partnerships to equip our youth with the skills required for ‘Make for India, Make for the World’ manufacturing. The partnerships will cover curriculum design, training of trainers, a skills certification framework, and periodic reviews,” she said.
Expansion of IIT infrastructure
The total student capacity in 23 IITs has doubled from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past decade. To accommodate growing demand, additional infrastructure will be developed in five IITs established after 2014, enabling education for 6,500 more students. Furthermore, hostel and campus expansion at IIT Patna is also planned.
Centre of excellence in AI for education
Building upon previous AI-focused initiatives, the government has announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education with a total investment of Rs 500 crore. This centre will facilitate the integration of AI in educational methodologies and research.
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Expansion of medical education
“Our Government has added almost 1.1 lakh UG and PG medical education seats in ten years, an increase of 130 per cent. In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next 5 years,” the finance minister said.